KITCHEN ADE: In season for spring

The Fresh Market's newest cookbook, "Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market," (offered by The Fresh Market & Family, photographs by Jennifer Davick; published by Chronicle Books LLC, www.chroniclebooks.com), contains 90 recipes, by season. Recipes for spring include seasonal foods like radishes and asparagus, plus more.

"Poaching fish in an herbed liquid adds both flavor and moisture, and oven poaching is the easiest and most reliable version of this technique. Salmon's meaty texture holds up particularly well to poaching and is delectable served chilled. Here, it is paired with a watercress mayonnaise; its peppery spiciness and green color are perfect complements to the fish." - from "Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market," offered by The Fresh Market & Family; photograph by Jennifer Davick.

"Bulgur wheat is parboiled and cracked wheat kernels, not a particular grain variety. Soaking is the best way to soften bulgur and then it takes just a few minutes to turn it into tabbouleh, a versatile salad that can be part of an outdoor picnic or a side dish for grilled meats and fish. Radishes add color and spicy flavor to the standard recipe. To make a few more servings, shred the lettuce and stir it into the tabbouleh." - from "Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market," offered by The Fresh Market & Family, photograph by Jennifer Davick.

"This creamy pasta dish is perfect for a quick spring supper. Have the ricotta at room temperature, as cold ricotta would cool the pasta too much. Simply place the ricotta in a bowl on top of the stove as you prepare the rest of the ingredients, and it will warm up nicely." - from "Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market," offered by The Fresh Market & Family, photograph by Jennifer Davick.

The Fresh Market’s newest cookbook, “Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market,” makes it particularly easy to locate those foods that are at their peak of freshness. Because the book is arranged by season, we are able to see at a glance which recipes will be the most flavorful and nutritious at any given time of the year. Recipes for spring, for instance, contain seasonal foods such as radishes, asparagus and salmon, plus several others. Many of the book’s 90 recipes are accompanied by cooking tips and suggestions for wine, in addition to notations identifying their suitability for folks seeking vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten-free dishes. Besides the recipes being categorized by season, readers will also appreciate how the recipes are further grouped by course on the “menu-building” pages. The book, which retails for $24.99, may be purchased at your closest Fresh Market store, located by visiting www.thefreshmarket.com. Founded in 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc., specialty grocery retailer operates 131 stores in 25 states, primarily located in the Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with plans for continued expansion throughout the country. For inquiries outside these areas, call 866-817-4367, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sue Ade, a Lowcountry resident since 1985, is a gourmet baker and collector of vintage cooking utensils and cookbooks. She can be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com or 683-0375.

Recipes and photographs courtesy of “Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market,” offered by The Fresh Market & Family, photographs by Jennifer Davick; published by Chronicle Books LLC, www.chroniclebooks.com.

Serve chilled, with sauce passed on the side.

Wine suggestion: Un-Oaked California Chardonnay

1 shallot, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, with stems

1 (2-inch) sprig fresh thyme, or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

1/3 cup water

4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

WATERCRESS MAYONNAISE

½ cup packed watercress leaves

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch stainless steel, glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not use uncoated aluminum, as it could react with wine and give salmon a metallic flavor.) Scatter shallot, parsley and thyme over bottom of baking dish. Pour in wine and water. Place salmon on top of shallot mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until salmon is barely opaque outside and with a rosy center when prodded with tip of a knife, about 20 minutes. Uncover and let cool completely in dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (cooking juices will gel), at least 4 hours or overnight. To make watercress mayonnaise: Pulse watercress in a food processor to finely chop. Add mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice and process to combine. Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Using a slotted spatula, transfer steaks to a platter. Serve chilled, with sauce passed on the side. Makes 4 servings.

Serve chilled or at room temperature, using the leaves to scoop up and eat the tabbouleh, if desired.

1 cup medium-grain bulgur wheat

1¾ cups boiling water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch (about 10) radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 green onions, including green parts, thinly sliced

1 romaine lettuce heart, separated into individual leaves

Combine bulgur and boiling water in a medium bowl. Stir well and let stand until bulgur is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well in a wire sieve, pressing hard on bulgur with a large spoon to remove any excess liquid. Whisk together lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add bulgur, radishes, parsley and green onions; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Season tabbouleh with salt and pepper (grain salads tend to need seasoning again after soaking up dressing). Line a serving platter with romaine leaves and heap the tabbouleh on top. Serve chilled or at room temperature, using the leaves to scoop up and eat the tabbouleh, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Snap off and discard woody ends of asparagus. Cut off spears about 1 inch below tips; reserve tips. Cut asparagus stalks into 1-inch lengths. Add stalks (not tips) to boiling water and cook for 1½ minutes. Add tips and cook until asparagus is barely tender, about 3 minutes more. Using a large wire skimmer or a sieve, lift asparagus from water and transfer to a bowl. Do not rinse. Add fettuccine to boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. During last minute of cooking, add asparagus to water to reheat it. Scoop out and reserve about ½ cup of cooking water, then drain fettuccine and asparagus and return them to pot. Add ricotta, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter and chives to pot and stir, adding enough of reserved cooking water to make a creamy sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve hot in individual bowls, with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano passed on side. Makes 4 to 6 servings